Judge’s Review: 91 Rating – pFriem Oktoberfest by pFriem Family Brewers

Festbier | Seasonal | USA

By Brad Darnell

Judges Rating: 91
Aroma: 21
Appearance: 5
Flavor: 38
Mouthfeel: 9
Overall Impression: 18

pFriem Oktoberfest by pFriem Family Brewers was judged according to the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines, Category 4B – Festbier.
A lightly hazy, rich and deep golden straw-colored beer arrives with a two-inch tall, bubbly and somewhat fizzy bright white head with medium retention. Medium-high bread and sweet, warm dough malt are out front in the aroma and invite a deeper sniff, with which I validate the malt dominance. The initial aroma is devoid of hop character and has a clean lager fermentation profile. The flavor is similar to the aroma with a medium-high rich bread and sweet dough malt with a soft, nearly honey-like character, seemingly more from a longer boil than any character malt.
Additional sips invite larger and more frequent quaffs of this clean, malt-dominant lager. There are low levels of spicy hops and a faint hop bitterness that keeps the malt sweetness pleasant. Late in the pour I can pick out very low earthy and woody hop characteristics. This beer finishes mostly dry but maintains some malt sweetness throughout. The medium body and moderate carbonation certainly invite drinkability as the style guidelines suggest. There is a definite near-creaminess in the mouthfeel.
This is a highly drinkable beer and represents the style very well, fitting the smooth-sipping characteristics paramount for this style. Bring on the schnitzel!